´óÏó´«Ã½

This tree weighs more than an aeroplane, and if it were laid along the ground, would be longer than a football field!

It's been discovered growing in Sabah, a Malaysian state on the island of Borneo, and is the first 100-metre tropical tree recorded anywhere in the world.

So how was it measured?

A team of scientists from the University of Nottingham and University of Oxford climbed it, of course.

Initially, it was spotted from the air, before the actual height was determined by climbing and using a tape measure to check the distance from tip to ground.

The research teams working with the South East Asia Rainforest Research Partnership (SEARRP) are in the process of writing up the amazing find in a scientific journal.

It was Unding Jami, a research assistant for the SEARRP, who actually climbed the tree, using a harness.

He told National Geographic: "It's not easy work to do. I climb up slowly, checking the trunk every metre for centipedes, snakes, and things. If there are birds, bees, or wasps nests that can be a problem."

"If I see one from the ground, we will climb at night when they're less active and shouldn't attack."

This type of tree is a yellow meranti (Shorea faguetiana), but this specific one has been named "Menara", Malaysian for tower, by the team who discovered it.

They've estimated it to weigh about 81,500 kilograms, excluding the roots - more than the maximum takeoff weight of a Boeing 737-800.

These super tall trees were found growing in the Danum Valley Conservation Area, at the centre of one of the best protected, and least disturbed, tracts of lowland rainforest left in South East Asia.

While Sabah's main rainforest is under protection, yellow meranti trees are still cut down in other areas of Borneo, often being used to make cheap plywood.

The area is also home to Borneo's endangered creatures, orang-utans, clouded leopards, and forest elephants.

Yellow meranti trees are highly endangered, and are on the IUCN red list, having been cut down for decades.

In his report Mr Jami said: "This kind of expedition is good for our community and rainforest conservation."

"It is important to know that conserving the primary rainforest is bearing fruit. Some of these unique, giant trees are still out there, they haven't all been lost."